1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to desk accessories and, more particularly, to an adjustable wrist and keyboard support which may be interposed between a work surface and a keyboard and may be adjusted in height, front-to-back depth, and angle relative to the work surface.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of keyboard supports have been developed to help the keyboard operator be more comfortable and, therefore, more productive.
The simplest wrist support device is comprised of an elongated rectangular wrist cushion that may be placed on the work surface in front of the keyboard which rests directly on top of the work surface. The problem with this type of device is that the keyboard and wrist rest cushion may become separated in use. Moreover, many keyboards include rear pop-out legs to support the keyboard at a single fixed angle relative to the work surface. The predetermined angle is often too steep or not steep enough for the personal preference of the typist. An adjustable wrist bar is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,176.
More complicated devices integrate a wrist support with a keyboard support. Such hybrid devices typically include a planar keyboard platform and some type of wrist support at a front edge of the keyboard platform. Many of the hybrid devices include a wrist support that is at a fixed height relative to the work surface and an upper surface of the keyboard. Examples of hybrid devices having fixed-height wrist supports are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,481,556, 4,482,063, and 4,482,064.
Hybrid devices having an adjustable height wrist bar have also been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,554 discloses a keyboard support having a planar keyboard platform and a wrist support bar that may be adjusted up or down by turning a pair of threaded knobs integrated with the wrist bar.
In some computer work stations, the keyboard is stored in a drawer located beneath the work surface, rather than directly on the work surface. The hybrid drawer typically includes an integral wrist support bar. The keyboard operator pulls the drawer and keyboard out into a working position and pushes the drawer and keyboard in for storage. An example of a keyboard drawer having an integral fixed-height wrist support is disclosed in FIG. 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,862. Although the foregoing work station conveniently allows the keyboard to be moved out of the way when not in use, there is no accommodation for an adjustable wrist bar for the keyboard, nor can the angle of the keyboard relative to the work surface be adjusted.
Another device for easing keyboard strain is comprised of an elongated wrist support at a top surface thereof and a stair step configuration on a back side thereof. The front edge of the keyboard is placed on a desired one of the steps, thereby adjusting the distance between the wrist support bar and the top surface of the keyboard. The height of the wrist support bar relative to the work surface is fixed. It is only the height between the user's fixed-height wrist and the top of the keyboard that may be varied. Moreover, this hybrid may fall off of the stair steps during use. Finally, the angle of the keyboard is inherently varied downward and away from the user as the front edge of the keyboard is placed on successively higher steps. Thus, there is no way of achieving both a desired keyboard angle and a desired height between the user's wrist and the top of the keyboard.
Another device is comprised of a horizontal planar section that is typically interposed between the work surface and the CPU housing or the monitor. The horizontal planar section supports a keyboard platform that extends at an angle from the edge of the work surface. A lip is typically present at a bottommost end of the keyboard platform to retain the keyboard on the incline. The foregoing device supports the keyboard at a fixed angle only, offers no wrist support whatsoever, and supports the keyboard in an inconvenient location.